In certain types of land vehicles, such as tractors, trucks, and the like, the storage batteries are increasingly being mounted at a location that is relatively inaccessible, because the advent of low-maintenance batteries has made such a mounting location possible. Prior to maintenance-free batteries, the battery was generally carried at an accessible location because of the need for periodic checking of electrolite.
The mounting of storage batteries at less convenient locations has created certain problems. For instance, when the battery needs to be charged, or the vehicle needs to be jump-started from an auxiliary source of electrical power, it is not always easy or safe to connect the jumper cables to positive and negative terminals on the vehicle to make the requisite electrical connection. One prior art technique for solving the aforementioned problem has been to provide a remote terminal at an accessible location. The auxiliary terminal is connected to the positive terminal of a battery, and has a grooved stud to which a jumper cable can be releasably connected. The stud is secured to a frame member of the vehicle by a molded insulator which surrounds the stud intermediate its length. The stud has a threaded portion to which a permanent electrical connection is made behind the frame member. A flange on the insulator engages the outside of the frame of the vehicle, and flats are provided on the insulator to prevent it from rotating relative to the frame when the nut is tightened. A plastic cap is provided to protect the grooved stud when not in use.
While the aforementioned terminal assembly may solve the problem of providing a remote location from which to jump-start a vehicle, it has certain limitations. For instance, it is more time consuming to install than is desirable for mass production. Moreover, it does not adequately resist corrosion.